Ex- official slams UK’s Brexit trade plans

London, Feb. 27: A senior minister on Tuesday defended Britain’s plans to cut EU ties to pursue an independent trade policy post- Brexit, after his former top official compared the approach to swapping a three- course meal for a packet of crisps.

International trade secretary Liam Fox said leaving the European Union’s single market and customs union was crucial if Britain was to take advantage of its newfound independence.

“Our approach should not be premised on simply identifying how much of our current relationship we want to keep, but what we need to prosper in a rapidly changing global environment,” he said in a speech in London. He called for a “fully independent trade policy” that would allow Britain to strike deals in new markets,

Our approach should not be premised on simply identifying how much of our current relationship we want to keep, but what we need to prosper in a rapidly changing global environment

Liam Fox,

Int’l trade secretary

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saying: “We cannot let the practices and the patterns of the past constrain the opportunities of the future.” The Opposition Labour party on Monday joined business lobby groups in calling for a new customs union with the EU after Brexit, raising the pressure on PM Theresa May.